The cognitive resource theory states the influence of the leader's resources on his or her reaction to stress. The cognitive resources of a leader are experience, intelligence, competence, and task-relevant knowledge. Stress is common in resource managing situations, and this cognitive theory emphasizes how intelligence and experience are each best under different stress situations. This theory is the reconceptualization of the Fiedler model.
In the early 1990s, the original model of Fiedler was re-conceptualized by Fiedler and his associate Joe Garcia, as Cognitive Resource Theory. In this model, the focus has been laid on the role of stress as a form of situational un-favorableness and how a leader’s intelligence and experience influence her/his reaction to stress.
Cognition is the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. Good examples of cognition are learning and our ability to reason through logic. Cognitive processes use existing knowledge and generate new knowledge. Cognitive processes are analyzed from different perspectives within different contexts like psychiatry, psychology, education, philosophy, and computer science.
The Contingency Model developed by Fiedler was criticized for its lack of flexibility and also over the accuracy of the LPC scale. Fiedler then went on to develop the Cognitive Resource Theory (CRT) which takes into account the personality of the leader, degree of situational stress, and group-leader relations.
The assumption behind this theory is that stress impacts the ability to make decisions. It is the enemy of rationality and a leader cannot think in a logical and analytical manner if she/he is under a high level of stress. According to this proposition, the importance of a leader’s intelligence and experience to effectiveness differs under low and high-stress situations.
Fiedler and Gracia state that a leader’s intellectual ability correlates positively with performance under low stress but negatively under high stress. And conversely, a leader’s experience correlates negatively with performance under low stress but positively under high stress.
Thus, according to Fiedler and Gracia, the level of stress in a situation, determines whether an individual’s intelligence or experience will contribute to leadership performance.
The Cognitive Resource theory predicts that the leader's abilities and intelligence can aid organizational success only when leaders adopt a directive leadership style, the situation is stress-free, the group members are supportive and the task requires high intellect. These attributes are discussed below:
When a leader is better in cognitive abilities like intelligence, planning, and decision-making, he must follow a directive approach to improve the overall performance of the team. He needs to communicate to the group what to do, to ensure his plans and decisions are implemented, hence improving the overall performance of the group.
When the group and the people on the group are better than the leader in cognitive abilities, then the leader should choose a non-directive approach. He should seek ideas from the group and identify the best approach/idea and move ahead with the same.
A leader's cognitive ability contributes to the performance of the team only when the leader uses the directive leadership style.
Stress has a direct co-relation with intelligence and decision quality.
When there is a low stress, then intelligence is fully functional and makes an optimal contribution.
When there is high stress, natural intelligence does not make any difference, but may also have a negative effect.
A leader's abilities will contribute to group performance only when group members are supportive of the leader and his goals. In such a situation leader's directions can be easily followed and implemented.
The intellectual abilities and intelligence of the leader can only be utilized efficiently in difficult, cognitively demanding tasks.
The theory proposes the style of leadership required depending on three variables – the degree of stress, situational control, and task structure.
Leaders should be trained on stress management so that a leader's intellect can be most effectively utilized and also to train leaders to take a directive approach when their knowledge will benefit the group but a less directive approach when group member abilities will contribute to performance.
Based on this theory, for a given situation, depending on the level of the stress, leaders can decide on whether to rely on intelligence or on experience. For low-stress situations, one should rely on intelligence; however, for high-stress situations, one should rely on experience.
In high-stress situations, leaders who are more experienced will produce more quality results. In high-stress situations, rational solutions are generally not available and hence intelligence will not be able to support the decision-making process, whereas previous experience can allow the leader to react.
The cognitive resources of a leader refer to their experience, intelligence, competence, and task-relevant knowledge. A leader's knowledge can contribute to performance if it is efficiently communicated, hence requiring a directive leader and also a compliant group that is willing to undertake the commands of the leader.
Socio-technical theory of leadership focus on the presence of two subsystems in every organization, the interrelatedness of social and technical aspects of an organization. Theory pertains to the social aspects of people and technical aspects of an organization, which means structure and processes within the organization.
The four theory of leadership was formulated after studying hundreds of leaders and the model includes four basic dimensions of effective leadership - support; interaction; facilitation; goal emphasis, and work facilitation. This model was tested as a predictor of an organization's effectiveness.
Leadership Participation Inventory (LPI)
Kouzes and Posner introduced the Leadership Participation Inventory model of Transformational leadership. This model is also known as Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Challenge Model. They identified five practices of exemplary leadership - Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enabling Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.
Continuum of leadership is a leadership theory based on the relationship between the level of freedom given to the team and the level of authority used by the manager. The chosen leadership style will depend on multiple factors, including the leader's personality.
University of Iowa Studies was the first leadership study to analyze leadership using scientific methodology. The study was conducted by Lewin, Lippitt, and White and worked on different styles of leadership. The studies explored three leadership styles - authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-fair leaders. This early study was very influential and established three major leadership styles.
The Psychodynamic Approach to leadership focuses on leaders building an understanding of their personality characteristics to know why they act or react in certain ways. Psychodynamics theory aims to explain the dynamics of human behavior in which lies the essence of leadership, by analyzing various motives that govern a person's behavior. This information can be used to develop leaders and followers by understanding their responses based on their personalities.
What are the functions which a leader does to establish as a leader? What are the activities undertaken by them to become great leaders, rather revolutionary leaders? The most important tasks done by a leader in all situations are defining the vision, mission, and goals, leading the team, administrative functions, motivating followers, decision making and conflict resolution, and continuous development.
Rensis Likert studied the patterns and styles of managers and developed four management systems known as Likert's management systems. These styles developed by him are known as Likert management systems. System 1 - Exploitative Authoritative; System 2 - Benevolent Authoritative; System 3 - Consultative and System 4 - Participative.
Self-leadership is a normative model of self-influence by the use of several behavioral strategies to gain a comprehensive self-influence perspective about oneself. Self-leadership is developing an understanding of your capabilities and abilities to influence your own communication, emotions, and behaviors to lead and influence others. Self-leadership is about personal growth and developing foresight.
The group and exchange theories of leadership are derived from social psychology. These have their roots in the exchange theory. Leaders from different kinds of relationships with various groups of subordinates. Group theories describe how leaders need to maintain their position in group dynamics.
© 2023 TechnoFunc, All Rights Reserved